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Question: What is a client?

Answer: A client is a software program that contacts to a server and requests information.

A client asks or requests information from the server. When it sends a request - it sends it to the server with its own (client) address so that the information will be returned to the correct location.

Client software has to match up to a specific kind of server software and each server requires a specific kind of client software.

If you are looking for a web page - you would use a web client to access a web server.

If you are want to get your e-mail - you would use a e-mail client.

Netscape and Internet Explorer have several different clients built into them. They can actually act as clients for web, gopher, FTP and e-mail to name a few.

Answer: The computer doesn't matter as long as it is capable of running a client that will connect to the type of server you want to connect to. One of the goals of the internet was that the content was interoperable.

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